Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options.
An example of a slot machine includes a plurality of mechanical reels, each mechanical reel being mounted on a reel support structure and rotated by a motor. The reel rotates a reel strip past a display area. The reel strip is transparent or translucent, and includes a plurality of symbols. The symbols are illuminated from behind (relative to the display) by lights that are contained in light cups. The light cups direct light in the direction of the display, such that the illuminated symbols are displayed in or through the display.